Chapter 243: Swiping Things
Upon opening the front door, he saw Yelena and Jesse inside, feasting heartily. Upon seeing the door open, they merely glanced briefly before continuing their meal.
Caleb stood before them, asking, “Speak up. What will it take for you to leave?”
With a hint of annoyance, Jesse questioned, “Caleb, what are you even saying? We are family, aren’t we? How come you seem so distant after not seeing us for a while?”
Originally, they planned to take Deborah to stay at a hotel. However, halfway there, Deborah suddenly said she felt more comfortable at Caleb’s apartment. Despite its small size, the warmth and human touch it offered were something a hotel couldn’t compare to.
Just like that, they all returned to Caleb’s rental apartment. Surprisingly, Caleb wasn’t home. It was Jesse who produced a spare key to unlock the door.
Knowing he had no way of driving those people away, Caleb simply gave up. “Go on. How did you guys get in?”
When that topic came up, it instantly ignited a fire of anger in Yelena. “I know you said you were going out, but why didn’t you leave us a key? If not for Jesse’s quick thinking—who took the spare key when he left last time—we wouldn’t have been able to open the door!”
Upon hearing that, Caleb let out a sarcastic laugh. “He’s quite the adept thief. Whenever he desires something, all it takes is a casual swipe, and the item will find its way into his hands. If word got out that Mr. Jesse from the Quixall family is such a skilled thief, wouldn’t he be lavishly praised?”
With a swift motion, Yelena suddenly stood up. “How is it stealing when Jesse merely took something from his family member? You haven’t even come clean about taking things from the Sherman family. How could you have the audacity to accuse Jesse?”
Caleb calmly countered, “Are you really sure that I’m the one who stole from the Sherman family? Jesse’s skills at swiping things unnoticed have reached an uncanny level. Why aren’t you suspecting him of being the thief?”
In a fit of rage, Yelena retaliated with a swift slap across Caleb’s face. “If you continue to slander Jesse, I’ll make sure you don’t even have a place to live!”
Caleb only felt a burning sensation on his face, and his gaze immediately turned cold. “Yelena, I haven’t yet spilled the beans about your dirty little secrets to your family. Are you sure you want to treat me this way?”
Choked with embarrassment, Yelena averted her gaze. After a few seconds of contemplation, she decided to apologize to Caleb; however, she felt too ashamed to face him, so she decided to sit back down on the couch.
Jesse comforted her, “Yelena, Caleb has always been forgiving. He might just forgive you after a while. Give him some time to cool off first.”
Yelena was absent-minded, responding only with a noncommittal hum. A glint flashed in Jesse’s eyes when he saw her like that. He added, “Also, I’m his younger brother. He can say whatever he wants. Whether I’ve done it or not, it’s enough that I know in my heart. I don’t expect everyone to understand me.”
Yelena’s heart ached tremendously. “Jesse, you’re truly kind-hearted…”
At that moment, the bathroom door swung open, and Deborah emerged from within. “Yelena, Jesse, do you guys know how to fix a toilet? I think I might have clogged it…”
Yelena said, “Let’s call a repairman to fix it. We don’t have experience with this kind of thing.”
Originally, Deborah had the same idea, but Jesse suggested, “Why don’t we ask Caleb to fix it? After he got out of prison, he picked up quite a few skills. If he could show off his abilities in front of us, he would probably be quite pleased.”
Upon reflection, Deborah thought those words made sense. She had upset Caleb earlier, and if she could use that opportunity to win his favor, that would be more than perfect.